Quote:
Originally Posted by sopsych
What if I told you that Joe Elliot and Rick Allen each have been arrested for domestic violence?
But, yeah, there's a certain charm and humor to the band, which seems to come largely from Joe. And the vegetarian stuff is a surprise to me - an article says Rick Allen made the switch right after the accident. Maybe the band members are weirder and smarter than many other rock stars. Working with Mutt Lange (who also produced Heartbeat City by The Cars and 4 by Foreigner) definitely was a great choice - and the decline began when he backed away.
The though-provoking lyrics probably is the best point above. Not that Def Leppard ever wrote great lyrics, but in the heyday they were consistently interesting and usually humorous or genuinely emotional. Or, once in a while, philosophical, like "Gods of Wars," which is my favorite post-Pyromania album track. With almost all songs - "Make Love Like a Man" being a silly exception - worded mysterious enough to invite repeat listens. More on that later.
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The first thing I'd say after hearing that Rick Allen and Joe Elliott were arrested for domestic violence is...
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Now that I've looked up the circumstances surrounding their arrest (
My Def Leppard and
Well-known domestic violence victims), and have read Joe Elliott's account of what happened in both of those cases (
Metal Hammer: Def Leppard ), I think with sympathy and sadness that sometimes people don't learn how to express their anger without being physical, and that if the couples were able to patch up the problems and Rick Allen and Joe Elliott fixed their issues and learned how to control themselves, then I'm glad for them and their families. I would not want to hold their past behavior against them now.
I also wonder if rock stars are more likely than the general public to resort to physical violence because they are so used to the power of being listened to on stage and expressing their emotions physically. I have always assumed that music supports peaceful human interactions...but maybe, in the case of some music, it riles people's psyches up and makes them *more* likely to choose to act out physically when they feel anger.
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I like the thought of lyrics being worded mysteriously such that they invite repeat listens. If lyrics are too mysterious and they make no sense, then they become uninteresting to me; but if they are too obvious and easy to understand, then unless they are emotionally compelling they might become boring.
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I hadn't realized that a music group's producer could make such a difference in their music choices and success (which reflects that I really don't know what a "producer" does).
I just read about
John "Mutt" Lange and see that his hand is deep in many musicians' creations besides those of Def Leppard, Foreigner, and the Cars: "He produced albums for artists such as AC/DC, Def Leppard, The Boomtown Rats, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Outlaws, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, Savoy Brown, The Corrs and Nickelback. He also wrote and produced songs with Canadian country singer and ex-wife Shania Twain. Her 1997 album Come on Over, which he produced, is the all time best selling album by a female artist. Lange's latest project is a song on Lady Gaga's second studio album Born This Way, titled 'You and I.'"
Robert John "Mutt" Lange - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I wonder what knowledge Mutt Lange has about how the public responds to music that has helped his clients' songs be so successful. The article says he co-wrote most of the songs on Def Leppard's High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria, and Adrenalize. I didn't realize that producers are also sometimes co-writers of the music. I think Mutt must have good knowledge about how to make "hits." Either that, or he is good at recognizing bands that have the music potential already there, and so then he helps them accentuate it.
Hey...get this...I also learned that Mutt Lange is a strict vegetarian!
(Our slow plot to take over the world is working.
)
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EDIT: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I just learned that Def Leppard's former producer, vegetarian Mutt Lange, had a full-out affair with wife Shania Twain's friend, denying the whole thing until they were discovered! On the positive side, Shania later married Fred, the friend's former husband, and
Shania and Fred (below) seem very happy.
